


20 Years Later

by saeriibon



Category: Ace Combat
Genre: M/M, Two sad and tired guys fuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:28:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26581438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saeriibon/pseuds/saeriibon
Summary: sometimes, things that are lost are better not found
Relationships: Cipher/Larry "Solo Wing Pixy" Foulke
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	20 Years Later

White and blue.

It seemed like the world only existed in those two colors; it was almost blinding.

Trudging through the snow-laden copse was a lone man, indistinguishable within the dull layers that covered his body. 

He heaved a sigh, resting a hand against a young birch trunk. A cardinal twittered and flew away from the barren canopy of branches, red wings disappearing amongst the maze of trees.

This man was hunting for something, but what he sought was not a beast.

Well, to some his quarry was just that. If not a mere animal, then a terrible demon.

* * *

How long has it been? 15... No, 20 years? Longer? The memories fresh and the aching dull.

Perhaps they never were to meet again. It seemed fitting, deserved even. With the biting cold and hours of walking, reunion may very well be an impossibility. Nature itself seemed to mock this old soul's wish.

He continued to walk.

Hope drives humans to do foolish things, but is that determination not what makes them stronger?

* * *

Another man walked, although this one was not alone. Rifle in hand, he followed his hounds, more like wolves than anything, through the trees. They caught the scent of something. Someone. Staggered footprints tore up the frosted white blanket. Whoever made them either didn't care to be followed or wanted to be. The man scoffed. Only an idiot would come all the way out here in the remote Wellovian wilderness alone. Excluding himself, of course. These were his hunting grounds, his home. For now, or at least for the last 20 years or so. 

The trail continued before suddenly veering left, right off the ledge of a small cliff.

Yep, definitely an idiot.

Two of his dogs flanked the incline to where the drop was shallower, while the remaining three looked down with him to whoever fell.

A line of compacted snow, dirt, and twigs pointed straight to another man, thankfully able to rise to his feet and dust himself of any residual debris. The ground sloped a bit further, and if he hadn't had hit the tree behind him, his injuries would have been far worse.

Perhaps that would have been for the better.

* * *

_'Damn, that hurt.'_

As he focused his vision, a growling sound caught his attention.

Two wolves snarled at him, although neither made a move to get closer, staying about ten feet back. The man instinctively pressed himself up against the tree behind him. He didn't have any weapons, save for a survival knife, but any hint movement could set them off, so he didn't bother reaching for it. 

_'So, this is how it ends, huh?'_

He closed his eyes and steadied his breathing.

Might as well go gracefully as you're torn to shreds.

Before the feeling of teeth sunk into his flesh, a sharp whistle pierced the air.

He and the wolves looked up to the sound at the top of the ridge, and he held his breath.

Maybe he hit his head too hard, but there were four other wolves standing above him, watching.

No, only three wolves… The fourth was a man. Yes, it probably was a man and most certainly his target.

The man's face was like a carved block of ice. Eyes cold and calculating. As if the winter itself brought him to existence. Brought him here. Just like when they first met at Valais.

"Ci- "

Before he realized it, the man closed the distance between them like a ghost, a leather-gloved hand shooting out to seize his throat, pinning him against rough bark.

"B-Buddy," he choked out and reached to grab his wrist, but his hand was slapped away with the rifle, the cold metal barrel replacing the feeling of fingers beneath his jaw as it tilted his face upwards.

Finally. He finally found him. After all of these years... He couldn't stop the relief from bringing up the corners of his lips. If Cipher were to shoot now, well, that would be just fine. He was done fighting, the final battle having just been won. The forest echoed the cardinal's song.

The two stood there in silence, white clouds of breath being the only exchange between them. Even the dogs seemed to have frozen, waiting patiently for their master’s command.

“Why are _you_ here?” Cipher’s voice was deep and raspy, likely not used to being used in quite some time, but his words were clear, as if he had been practicing for this moment.

Pixy could ignore the slightly hostile glint in Cipher’s dark gray eyes for a moment as he drank in the details of his face. His strong jaw, the small cut on his lip (he remembered this one, a bar fight; guess a nigh-invincible mercenary pilot has his own vices), the faintest hint of stubble and silver strands of hair.

The barrel pushed against Pixy's jaw again, bringing him back to reality.

' _Why_ am _I here?'_

He licked his cracked lips and swallowed, though his throat was still dry.

"You," he croaked.

A sound escaped Cipher, something like the mix of a scoff and a growl. Pixy felt the cold metal pull away as Cipher stepped back. He turned and started heading back up to the ridge, whistling a signal for his dogs to follow. Pixy waited a moment before following the group a few meters behind. Neither Cipher nor the dogs seemed to care about the errant straggler as the group headed through and out of the wood.

Pixy had to squint to see past the light reflected off of the snow. This area was either a field or a frozen lake as the treeline circled around it. On the other side was a lone cabin, unlit and chimney inactive. This must be…

"You live there?" Pixy called out. A few of the dogs stopped to look at him, but Cipher continued his walk across the snowfield uninterrupted. Pixy chuckled to himself.

' _Always the quiet one. Guess some things never change, buddy.'_

* * *

' _Of all the things to find out here, why did it have to be_ him.' Cipher had only gone out for some hunting, maybe a rabbit or a buck if he got lucky. He sighed, not bothered by the fact Pixy was following him (it'd feel wrong to just abandon him out here) but rather by the fact Pixy was here in the first place. ' _You._ ' What could that even mean? It's been so long already, whatever happened to just forgetting and moving on? Cipher shook his head, ' _Maybe I'll treat him to a warm meal and send him off at the nearest village first chance I get. It's the least I could do for him.'_ He turned a little to see if Pixy was still following, which he was, although the fatigue seemed to be setting in as the distance between them slowly increased. ' _Come on now,'_ he silently encouraged.

They had almost made it across the entire field, the dogs rushing with newfound energy to settle in their kennels by the cabin. Of course, now was the perfect time for Pixy to collapse face first into the snow. 

Cipher stopped and stared for a bit, a small part telling him to just leave him there; this could just be a hallucination after all. The body would be gone by the next morning, not a trail or trace in sight. Disappearing again, like all those years ago.

' _Now's not the time to get sentimental, Cipher,'_ he chided himself. Slugging the rifle over his shoulder, he approached his old wingman, nudging him over onto his back with his boot.

"Up, Larry," he grumbled.

It took the other man a while to respond, another dumb, delirious smile gracing his face, "Hey, you remember my name…"

' _Wow. He is really fucked up.'_ Cipher kneeled to grab the collar of his jacket, dragging him to his feet with one hand. Small chunks of snow fell from his face and clothing, although his face was beginning to turn pale, lips blue, and frost clinging to his hair and sealing his eyelashes shut. He guided the stumbling and near frozen Pixy into the cabin, shoving him onto the floor by the fireplace with a bit more force than he intended to. "Stay there," he ordered, half-expecting Pixy to get up and try and follow him again, and was relieved when he listened.

He mounted his rifle to its wall rack and hung his jacket by the door, trying to ignore the gaze that followed him. After that, he went ahead and lit the fireplace, its warm glow illuminating the sparsely decorated room. He went to unravel Pixy's muffler, the other man too tired to simply do it himself. ' _Like trying to take care of a kid or something.'_ He moved on to unbuttoning his coat, noticing how Pixy's breath hitched a little. "Relax. It will be easier to get warmer this way," Cipher was never good at providing comfort, but his words seemed to work as Pixy's posture softened, letting Cipher slip his coat off of his shoulders.

When Cipher built this cabin, he never intended on having visitors, so there was only one coat hook, which was currently being occupied by his clothes. ' _Hope he doesn't mind me doing this,'_ he thought to himself as he laid Pixy's clothing on the outer hearth beside him. ' _They'll get dirty, but at least they'll dry off better.'_

"Thanks, buddy," Pixy sighed as he stared into the fire, wiping the now melted frost from his eyes.

Cipher wordlessly bustled about the cabin, lighting lanterns and taking out blankets from the closet to throw onto Pixy.

Now being able to see better, Pixy looked around the room. The fireplace was actually quite large and designed so that there was a bar where a large pot hung over it. There was a lone rocking chair in the corner by the door, a bed across the room, a nightstand where a lantern sat, and an old, beat up dresser beside that. The only thing that looked relatively soft and comfortable, other than the bed, was a large bearskin rug in the center of the room. Cipher had shortly left to go outside, coming back in with a tin bucket. Pixy watched curiously as he walked over to the fireplace, emptying the contents of the bucket into the pot. Snow tumbled out, a small steaming sound rising up from where it fell before the pot became filled with the stuff. He felt his stomach rumble, and Cipher must have heard as the other man looked at him.

"I'm going out again. Will be back with food." ' _And hopefully I won't get interrupted again.'_

* * *

It must've been a few hours, Pixy realized this when he blinked and the sky suddenly changed colors from bright blue to a muted orange. He heard a muffled squelching and cracking sound nearby, although when he looked around he was still alone in the cabin. The pot of snow, which was now water, was moved to the side of the fireplace as well, a chunk of what could only be assumed to be meat slowly roasting over the flames. He was startled when he heard the door slam open, a tired and bloody Cipher stomping his way over to the pot. He dunked his hands inside of the pot, scrubbing his palms and knuckles.

"Not my blood," he stated as Pixy watched with widened eyes.

"That doesn't exactly make me feel better, you know."

"Rabbit," Cipher pointed to the meat and then gestured to the rest of the blood on him.

Pixy slowly nodded, still a bit shaken. "How long have I been asleep?"

Cipher dried his hands with a towel in his pant pocket and slid the bar off its supports. ' _How long… Does it even matter?'_ Using a large knife, he skewered the meat and held it out to Pixy. When the other man didn't move, he growled, "You're supposed to take it and eat it."

Pixy looked to the meat and to Cipher, "How do I know its not pois-"

"Just fucking eat it, Larry."

Pixy raised his hands, "Alright, alright, I'll eat it, but if I die then I'll haunt you for the rest of your life," he jokingly warned.

"I don't believe in ghosts."

"Well, maybe you should," Pixy retorted and grabbed the knife, giving a tentative smell before deeming it wasn't that bad and digging in. He did feel a bit uncomfortable as Cipher watched him eat, turning his body away slightly. Thankfully, he got the message and he walked out of the cabin again, the squelching and cracking sounds continuing outside. It honestly made him lose his appetite, but given how he hadn't eaten anything all day he really couldn't afford to be picky.

He finished his meal around the same time when the sounds stopped, Cipher coming in again to wash his hands and empty the bloody water outside.

"You're leaving tomorrow morning," Cipher said offhandedly as he started removing his bloodstained clothes.

"Tomorrow morning? You don't want to have a little tête-à-tête with me? It's been decades since we last saw each other," Pixy complained as he watched Cipher. Even at his age he was still fit and muscular; broad shoulders, dark strands of hair covering his chest, his arms, down his navel… Pixy stopped himself, heat suddenly rising to his cheeks. Cipher was decent enough to not remove his underwear, but it didn't leave much to the imagination. 

Cipher ignored him as he grabbed a clean shirt and pants, "You can sleep in the bed. I'm fine with the floor tonight."

Pixy gulped, "I… don't mean to impose. You ought to have the bed."

"You’re the guest. You get the bed."

"An uninvited guest…"

"Meaning?" Cipher was growing irked at this banter. ' _Just sleep in the damn bed. One night on the floor isn't going to kill me, idiot.'_

" _You_ should- " Pixy didn't have the time to finish his sentence as Cipher grabbed his collar, knife clattering to the floor as he was yanked upwards.

"'Uninvited guest,' huh? I have every right to kick you out on those grounds, but I won't. Take the goddamn bed," Cipher hissed and brought his face up to Pixy's.

Pixy’s eyes widened and he gulped, ' _God, he’s_ _so close. If only, if only I could try…'_ Without thinking he raised his hand, fingertips coming up to trace Cipher’s jaw, slowly feeling the way his stubble scratched at his skin. "You really are here..." he breathed, relieved that he could finally touch Cipher and awe that he let him do it.

' _What in the actual hell is going on?'_ Cipher froze as Pixy stroked his chin, eyes distant and glazed. ' _Why does it feel so…'_ He shook his head and released his grip on Pixy, trying to step back, but the other man followed his movements, pushing him back against the wall. He growled in frustration, getting a little more forceful and grabbing Pixy's shoulders, spinning so that he could pin him down against the wall at arms length. "Snap out of it, Larry."

Pixy's breathing had become more labored, face finally regaining color as opposed to earlier, although it was much redder than usual, "You know, that bed's big enough. If we can't reach an agreement we could both-" 

"Fine. Take the floor," Cipher relented and hesitantly released his grip. Pixy just stood there, seemingly in a daze. 

"I wasn't lying. I'm here because of you, buddy…" he chuckled, then sighed as he sunk down onto the floor, a dejected groan escaping as he brought his hands to his face. "I don't know what's gotten into me. I just wanted… I missed you so badly. I heard you were here, so I took the chance and here you are…"

Cipher folded his arms as he regarded Pixy's words. He could excuse his irrational behavior, the fact that there was a source who accurately knew both who he was and where he lived bothered him more. He crouched down to get at eye-level with him, "Who told you?"

Pixy looked up, "It was just a rumor, nothing serious." 

Some air escaped Cipher’s nose, "That so?" He got up, picking up the knife and putting it in the empty pot. He put some more wood in the fire, prodding it a bit with a fire poker. ‘ _It’ll be tough moving out now… Will there be enough time when spring comes? And where…’_

"Do you really want to stay invisible that badly?" Pixy asked.

"Preferably." 

Pixy hummed in acknowledgement, shifting his weight. "I see… I'm… I'm sorry for... _that._ "

Cipher bristled, grip tightening on the fire poker.

"Buddy?"

Cipher inhaled and exhaled slowly, "Sorry for what?"

"Coming on to you like that. I-I shouldn't have done that. I was overwhelmed and let my feelings get the better of me…"

' _At least you're sorry for_ that _. I would've thought you were apologizing over firing on me without warning, for killing P.J., for threatening, no, almost nuking the world_ . _Then you have the audacity to suddenly pop up after 20 years? Try to get close to me like none of that ever happened?_ ' A piece of wood snapped in the fire, sending up a stream of embers. Cipher sighed, what was even the point of it all anymore? Was he even in the right to be mad about any of it now? "No, I get it, you're just a dumb kid," he mumbled.

"I can hardly be called a kid. But, dumb I can agree with," Pixy smiled and leaned against the wall, watching Cipher’s back-lit form prepare the fire for the night. He wondered how it would feel, being pressed against his chest as muscular arms held him closely. The warmth from his body and the fire seeping into his bones. Or maybe Cipher would be more rough with him, pinning him down on the weathered floorboards, calloused hands feeling up his sides… He gulped, a throbbing pressure building inside of him. His hand on his knee twitched, part of his mind begging to give himself release. Cipher still wasn't looking, maybe if he could just… Pixy slowly shifted, hand drifting away from his knee to his crotch. It was difficult, angling his legs to both give himself some room while simultaneously keeping himself from being completely exposed. He focused on breathing quietly as he gently palmed himself through his pants. His eyes fluttered shut, a small gasp accidently left his lips as he felt his cock strain against his clothing. He looked up and froze when he saw Cipher staring at him. Oddly enough, getting caught in the act made him even more aroused. He gulped and decided to try something. He closed his eyes again, applying more pressure with his hand and even moving it along his entire member. A louder whine came out of him as he grinded onto his hand. He still kept his legs relatively closed, although it was getting difficult to do so. He heard the floor creak, followed by slow footsteps as Cipher made his way to where Pixy sat. Pixy refused to open his eyes, both out of shame and fear that if he saw Cipher now he just might come then and there. He let go of his regulated breathing, heady breaths mixing with the crackles of the fireplace. So what if Cipher is disgusted by him? Nothing matters at this point anyway. Might as well indulge one last time before he's thrown into the harsh Wellovian wilderness. Rather than feeling Cipher's hands violently grab at his neck, he felt them being placed on his knees, coaxing them open to expose his tented pants as he kneeled before him.

' _Can't believe I'm doing this, but…'_ Cipher nudged Pixy's hand away, unbuttoning and unzipping his pants. He reached down, wrapping his fingers around his cock and giving it a few slow strokes. Pixy bucked his hips, biting his lip as he groaned. ' _You like that?'_ Cipher mused as he continued to pump his member.

"Ngh… C-Cipher," Pixy whimpered, "Please, Cipher… fuck… I'm sorry… Please…"

Cipher looked at him, not stopping his hand as it became more and more slick with precum, “What do you want?” He whispered huskily into his ear.

Pixy shuddered, "I don't know… I, ah, I want you… hah…"

Cipher withdrew his hand and stood, much to Pixy's dismay. ' _Patience, Larry.'_ He started taking his clothes off and when Pixy tried to touch himself again, his hand was kicked away. "You'll come when I tell you to."

Pixy shivered as he watched Cipher disrobe again, completely entranced despite having already seen it before.

“Take your clothes off too,” he ordered, a hawk-like glint in his eyes.

Pixy blinked a few times before he hurriedly obeyed, managing to get down to his underwear before even Cipher could, not caring how desperate that made him look. 

“Bed,” Cipher pointed to it, gaze burning into Pixy’s body as he watched the other man make his way to settle in the mass of blankets spread upon it. “On your stomach,” he watched Pixy hesitate for a moment before turning around, exposing his scarred back as he wrapped his arms around a pillow for comfort.

‘ _I can’t believe this is happening.’_ Fear and excitement coursed through Pixy’s veins. He buried his face into the pillow, groaning again as he smelled Cipher’s scent on it, the sensation causing him to grind his hips into the blankets below him. “Cipher…” he purred, gasping slightly as he felt him slap and squeeze his ass.

“Remember what I said,” Cipher growled into his ear and gave it a warning bite on the lobe.

Pixy whined again as he felt Cipher hook his thumbs over his underwear, slipping them off in a painfully slow manner. Even though it was still warm in the cabin, it was warmer still in his pants and having his cock be finally exposed caused him to twitch and gasp. Soon after, he felt a weight press down on him as Cipher lowered his chest onto his back.

Cipher wrapped his arms around Pixy’s torso, hands making their way to his nipples to give each a sharp pinch. At the same time, he bit into Pixy’s shoulder, fighting back a perverse smile as he felt the other man struggle and whimper in pain. He tugged and rolled his nipples between his thumbs and forefingers as he left mark after mark on Pixy’s shoulders and neck. Eventually, his cries of pain became more like moans of pleasure as Cipher held him down and claimed him. He couldn’t ignore his own growing erection, so he grinded it into the cleft of Pixy’s ass cheeks, a low and husky groan bubbling in his throat.

“Oh, Cipher, please… Please…” Pixy tried to lift his hips to feel more of Cipher’s cock against his ass, but Cipher hooked one of his arms around his neck as he growled a wordless signal for Pixy to keep quiet. ‘ _He could easily choke me out now… Not that I would complain… Oh God_.’ He wanted to touch himself again, but given his position that would be nigh impossible.

Cipher finally relinquished his hold, easing off of Pixy's back. He started to wet one of his fingers with his mouth, and when Pixy looked back to see what he was doing, he swiftly inserted his finger into Pixy's hole.

Pixy muffled his own screams with his pillow, thighs shaking at the sudden intrusion. He was no stranger to this, but it had certainly been a while since he had last done it. He eventually began rocking his hips in time with Cipher’s thrusts, another cry escaping as a second finger was added, the two scissoring and stretching him open. He felt them go deeper and curl, massaging that sweet spot inside of him. "Oh… Cipher… I'm so close… I'm gonna-" As soon as those words left his mouth, he felt Cipher pull his fingers out of him, a growing frustration overtaking him, "Come on…" he whined.

"Wait," Cipher gave his ass another squeeze as he went to take off his own underwear, thick cock springing up as it was uncovered. He spit in his hand and started to slowly jerk himself, saliva mixing with precum as he tried to work up more natural lubricant. “Tell me… how bad you want this,” Cipher panted.

“Badly… Like, for the past 20 years badly… Cipher… Buddy… please…” Pixy’s voice was soft and distant.

“Why should I give it to you?” There was a stifled quality to Cipher’s tone. His terse words belying a deep, roiling fire.

Pixy gave a bitter laugh, “Why… Because I’m sorry… Because I loved you… Because I still do… Because this is all I have to give…” He felt rugged hands turn him onto his back, bringing him face to face with the source of his pathos. Dark eyes flickered with pity, disappointment, revulsion, and anger. He had to look away from Cipher’s intensity, afraid it might swallow him whole, “You really are a demon, huh?” Pixy couldn’t be surprised; he had a feeling Cipher wasn’t doing this for anyone’s pleasure, let alone his own. He took the chance to look at him again, giving pause when he thought he saw another emotion cross his face, but by the time he realized it was there, it disappeared. ‘ _Must be a trick of the light…_ ’ He felt Cipher line the tip of his cock up with his hole, slowly pushing against it, nodding when Cipher gave him a questioning look.

‘ _I_ _would bite something, Larry, unless you want it to hurt more,’_ Cipher did his best to prepare his partner, and part of him broke when he heard Pixy scream as his head penetrated the ringed muscle. He covered Pixy’s mouth with one hand and used the other to keep his knees from closing as he slowly slid further into him. He felt Pixy claw at his forearm, trying to free his mouth. He bit his lip, enough to draw blood, tight walls clenching around his length. Cipher fully sheathed himself with a grunt, the two men tensing as they held their position, slowly getting used to one another. Pixy had finally stopped screaming, although whatever pinprick tears were in his eyes have made their way down his cheeks. Cipher moved his hand, relieved to hear Pixy’s gasps as he could finally breath again. He leaned down, licking the salty drops away as Pixy shuddered beneath him. “Going to move now, okay?” Cipher stroked the side of Pixy’s face with a surprising gentleness.

Everything was burning, inside and out. It felt like hell. Apt, Pixy realizes, if Cipher is a demon and Pixy is a sinner. Of course, now isn’t the time to get symbolic. He felt Cipher slide out and thrust back into him again, bringing out another cry to wrack through his body. Slowly out… then harshly in. Out and in… He gasped and wrapped his arms around Cipher, digging his nails into the other man’s back. He heard Cipher moan in his ear, which caused Pixy to buck his hips even more and bring his legs around his waist.

With Pixy clinging to him, Cipher decided to pick up the pace, fingertips bound to leave bruises on his hips. He looked down at Pixy’s face, flushed and glowing, eyes shut tight in pain and ecstasy. His lips were slightly parted, and when he couldn’t hear panting, he heard lewd mewls and whimpers as he took Cipher’s cock. “Fuck, Larry…” Cipher wet his lips and joined them with Pixy’s, relishing how he moaned into his mouth. The kiss was sloppy, passionate, and earnest. Their tongues brushed and tangled with each other, eliciting deeper and louder moans from the both of them.

Pixy was surprised when he tasted blood as he was kissed. Part of him worried on Cipher’s behalf, although those fears melted away as he kept up his assault, bearing down on Pixy with an animalistic intensity that seemed to have only been reserved for only the toughest of dogfights. His hips shared the same merciless nature as they thrusted into him, obscenely wet sounds filling the cabin as skin met skin. He wanted to keep moving in tandem with Cipher, but realized that the other man’s hold on him was becoming tighter and tighter. “C-Cipher…” Pixy breathed onto his neck, almost engulfed by the form of the man above him.

‘ _I_ _’m losing it…_ ’ Cipher’s thoughts were getting muddled as warm pressure built in his gut. His eyes were starting to glaze over as the primal desire to _take_ started manipulating his body. Guttural moans began to turn more into predatory growls as he pistoned himself, rhythm becoming erratic. He felt Pixy’s shaft throb against his stomach, knowing that he was close to climaxing too. “Larry…” he drawled.

“Cipher… Don’t stop… Keep going… Cipher… Please… please…” Pixy started babbling, inner walls squeezing and twitching in anticipation. His cock burned and ached as it was stimulated against their two bodies. Suddenly, he felt Cipher tense with a snarl as he gave several more, jittery thrusts. His hips were lifted upwards slightly at the same time, allowing Cipher to hit that sweet spot deep within him.

“Come for me, Larry,” Cipher hoarsely whispered.

Finally.

They came at the same time, Cipher filling Pixy with hot seed and Pixy spilling his own against his stomach and chest. He spasmed and sighed, going limp under Cipher, who seemed to be frozen above him save for the occasional shaking breath. Eventually, he unsheathed himself with a slick popping sound and rolled off of Pixy onto the bed. Neither bothered to speak or look at the other as they laid side by side, basking in the afterglow. The fire crackled and off in the distance, an owl cooed.

After a few long moments, Cipher turned his back to Pixy, getting under the blankets as if nothing had ever happened.

Pixy tried to move, but too much of him felt too sore to do so. He sighed, warm cum beginning to cool into an uncomfortable wetness. Eventually he mustered up enough strength to sit up, wincing as he eased himself off of the bed. He stumbled to his pile of clothes, fishing out a spare rag to clean himself up as best he could. After putting on most of his clothes again, he gathered the extra blankets Cipher had given him earlier, creating a makeshift sleeping bag out of them before the fireplace. Part of him yearned to be on the bed with Cipher, but it was decided in the end that Pixy would sleep on the floor. Cipher had already given him too much anyways, so it was only fair. Still… 

* * *

When he awoke, he felt a pair of sturdy arms draw him close to a source of warmth other than the fire. He blinked and stirred, opening his brown eyes to see Cipher’s staring into them. He instinctively flinched, but noticed his gaze was more tender than how it was last night. “Buddy?”

Cipher hummed a little, closing his eyes, “I’ll give you a few more hours before I kick you out…” he murmured as he stroked Pixy’s hair.

“Right…” Pixy conceded. He noticed he was still on the floor and wondered how long Cipher was laying there with him. The whole night? A few minutes ago? Either answer made his heart flutter all the same.

“I’m sorry you fell in love with me…” Cipher spoke almost as if he were talking to himself, eyes still closed.

Pixy nodded slightly, a solemn smile worn on his face, “Me too, buddy…” ‘ _I_ _’ll give you a proper thank you someday, buddy. Could be tomorrow, could be another two decades, whichever happens first… Just know that it’ll be one we can both walk away from with pride…’_ Locking that resolve deep in his heart, he closed his eyes, savoring this one moment.

**Author's Note:**

> i've been forging this fic for the past *checks calendar* week or so and i'm finally as satisfied as i can be with it. also, wellovian = demonym for the country of wellow where i headcanon cipher to be for the majority of his time post ac0


End file.
